False Bottom
by suzie2b
Summary: The Rat Patrol is captured and Tully is used to try to get the others to talk.
**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **False Bottom**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **The Rat Patrol had been captured by Hauptman Schmidt's men and taken to the stronghold that was his base of operation. They were each locked in a different room without as much as a barred opening in the door.**

 **After several hours, keys rattled in the door of the room Tully was in. A lieutenant walked in with several guards. "I am Leutnant Bauer. Hauptman Schmidt wishes me to interrogate you and your comrades. If you wish to live, you will tell me what I want to know."**

 **Tully had been sitting on a cot. He stood up and put his hands in his pockets. He looked at the three German rifles leveled on him, then back at the lieutenant, and said, "Pettigrew, Tully. Private First Class. 15752351."**

 **The lieutenant stepped forward and backhanded the private hard. Tully barely reacted and calmly reached up to wipe blood from the corner of his mouth.**

 **Growing anger showed on Leutnant Bauer's face as he said, "Binden ihn!"**

 **Two of the guards set their rifles aside and went over to Tully. They put a set of handcuffs on each of his wrists, then backed him up to one wall. Bauer got two stools from the hallway for the guards to stand on so they could get the cuffs over hooks above Tully's head. His toes barely touched the floor.**

 **The lieutenant smiled at Tully's discomfort. "Now we will see if you will talk."**

 **##########################**

 **An hour later, a battered and bloody Tully still had said nothing more than his name, rank, and serial number. Leutnant Bauer looked at the now unconscious private and said, "Perhaps your comrades can be persuaded to talk." He turned to his guards. "Die anderen privaten zusammen mit etwas Wasser."**

 **A few minutes later Hitch was brought into the room. His hands were cuffed behind his back. The moment he saw Tully his heart started to pound in his chest.**

 **Bauer took the pitcher of water and a glass from a tray that one of his men held. He filled the glass and took a sip as he replaced the pitcher on the tray. Then he went to Tully, pulled his head up by his hair, and threw the water in his face.**

 **Tully sputtered and coughed as he opened his swollen eyes. He frowned as he saw hitch. "He won't tell you anything either."**

 **The lieutenant smiled. "I think perhaps he can be persuaded." He walked over to Hitch and said, "I want the codes."**

 **Hitch looked at Tully, who shook his head slowly, then back at Leutnant Bauer. "Hitchcock, Mark T. Private First Class. 14836285."**

 **The lieutenant nodded to one of the guards, who walked up to Tully and hit him hard in the stomach with the butt of his rifle.**

 **Tully gasped as all the air in his body was forced out. He brought his legs up to try to protect himself, but was whacked on the knee with the same rifle. Tully didn't have enough air in his lungs to cry out so he let out a soft groan and went limp.**

 **Hitch watched in horror as two of the guards held him back. "Stop! You're gonna kill him!"**

 **Leutnant Bauer nodded. "Yes. Now give me the codes before it's too late."**

 **Tully's voice was hoarse as he gasped out, "He doesn't know … the codes. I told you … none of us do."**

 **The guard was about to hit Tully again, but Bauer held up a hand as he said to Hitch, "Your group was seen picking up the codes from the French resistance."**

 **Hitch quickly said, "We already delivered them to the allies."**

 **The lieutenant smiled. "Nice try, private, but I do not believe you."**

" **You searched us and the jeeps. You didn't find anything."**

 **Leutnant Bauer nodded. "This is true. But I believe at least one of you memorized the codes and then destroyed the paper they were written on." After a while with no results, he turned and said to the guards, "Nehmen Sie ihn zurück zu seiner Zelle und bringe mir das nächste."**

 **Hitch was hauled away and a short time later Moffitt was brought in. He was horrified by how Tully looked. The same questions, the same answers, and Moffitt winced with each blow that was delivered to Tully's body.**

 **Then it was Troy's turn. Anger flared on his face when he saw his private. Tully could barely hold his head up to look at the sergeant. "How's it going, Tully?"**

" **It's … goin', sarge. Nobody's said … anything."**

 **Leutnant Bauer said, "That is right, sergeant. Your men are very loyal to you and your American Army. I believe you could be the one holding the information I want."**

 **Not taking his eyes off Tully, Troy said, "And what information would that be, lieutenant?"**

 **Bauer sighed impatiently. "The codes. Give me the codes and your man will see a doctor."**

" **We were given a sealed envelope … and it's already been delivered."**

 **A fist hit Tully hard on the left side of his face and he yelped. Troy looked at Tully, who gazed back with dazed eyes. He gave the private a nearly imperceptible nod as the lieutenant paced the room.**

 **Bauer stopped in front of Tully and stared at the battered young man as he said to his men, "Wenn er noch lebt in den Morgen, er ausgeführt wird." Then he turned around to look at Troy. "Now, sergeant, your man cannot withstand much more. It would be better if you…"**

 **With all the strength he had left in him, Tully pulled his legs up and locked them around Leutnant Bauer, trapping his arms at his sides.**

 **Before the guards realized what was happening, Troy rammed his shoulder into two of the guards, knocking them into the third. Two hit the wall head first and were left unconscious. He gave the third a kick alongside the head and he didn't move again.**

 **Tully fought to keep the lieutenant from getting away. The handcuffs were digging deeply into his wrists, but he didn't feel it. His hands and arms had gone numb hours before. Bauer struggled and twisted as he tried to get away while shouting for help. Pain shot through Tully's torso with every movement.**

 **Troy worked to move his arms down his legs and under his feet so his cuffed hands would be in front of him. "Hang on, Tully. I'm coming." He stood up with a guard's rifle in his hands and walked over to Leutnant Bauer. He stopped struggling as Troy said, "It doesn't appear help is coming for you, lieutenant." And then with one swift move, Troy swung the rifle butt and broke Bauer's skull. Tully let him fall and, panting painfully, let himself go limp again.**

 **Troy searched the downed men until he came up with a ring of keys and got his cuffs off. Then he went to Tully and as carefully as possible unlocked the cuffs on his wrists. Tully crumbled. Troy caught him and put one of his arms around his shoulders before dragging him out the door.**

 **Troy opened doors until he located Moffitt and Hitch. Moffitt took Tully from Troy and hoisted him up over his shoulders. Troy said, "Okay, let's get out of here."**

 **They managed to get out of the building without too much problem. They only ran into one guard, who was quickly dispatched and hidden. Outside, in the dark, Moffitt hid with Tully while Troy and Hitch went to get their jeeps from the German motor pool. When Moffitt heard the alarms going off, he knew they were on their way.**

 **##########################**

 **At the nearest field hospital there was hours of surgery to stop the internal bleeding, and to repair Tully's kneecap. Broken ribs needed to be stabilized and his wrists needed a few stitches. He had a concussion. Other wounds had to be cleaned and dressed. As the circulation returned to his hands and arms there was a lot more added pain and it was decided it would be best if they kept Tully sedated so his body could start to heal with less stress. It was days before the doctors knew for sure that Tully would survive.**

 **It was a week later when Tully opened his eyes. He looked around blurrily and wondered where he was.**

 **Hitch noticed the movement and set his book aside. "Tully … you're all right now."**

 **Tully blinked and squinted at his friend. His voice was barely a whisper when he managed, "Hitch?"**

" **Yeah, it's me."**

" **Where?"**

" **Field hospital."**

 **Tully tried to shift, but gasped at the pain it caused.**

 **Hitch put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You need to lay still, Tully. The doctors had to do a lot of surgery to fix you up, but you're going to be okay."**

" **What about … the codes?"**

" **As soon as Troy and Moffitt knew you were going to be all right, they left to take them to headquarters. That false bottom in your toolbox really came in handy."**

 **Tully managed a very slight smile. "Told you it … would come in handy."**

 **A nurse came by to check on him. "Good to see you awake, private. Are you in much pain?"**

" **I'm fine."**

 **She looked at Hitch. "Should I believe him?"**

 **Hitch shook his head with a smile. "He doesn't like to admit when he's hurting."**

" **I see. I'll be right back."**

 **As the nurse left to get a pain killer, Tully said jokingly, "Traitor."**

 **Hitch just chuckled.**

 **The nurse returned and administered morphine through Tully's IV. "There now. That should help. Get some rest and I'll check on you later."**

 **Tully could feel the drug start to take effect and resisted closing his eyes.**

 **Hitch said, "Don't fight it. You need to sleep so you'll get better."**

" **I like to hear … people around me."**

 **Hitch thought for a second and remembered the time Moffitt had read to Tully while he was unconscious. Tully had later said that he could hear Moffitt's voice. Hitch picked up the** _ **Sherlock Holmes**_ **novel that he'd set aside. He was halfway through the book, but he began reading aloud from the beginning.**

 **It wasn't long before Hitch noticed that Tully's eyes were closed and his face was relaxed as he slept. However, he continued to read.**


End file.
